JULY 23, 1946

NEW YORK, Monday—In the papers last week, there was a nice photograph of Mrs. James F. Byrnes and Mrs. Chester W. Nimitz busily canning. I hope it reminded a great many people that one of the best ways to help the food situation throughout the world is for every one who can do so to have a garden, and to put up anything they can't eat now, so they can enjoy it next winter.

Of course, if you happen to have a deep freeze, you already know the joys of taking out your vegetables or your fruits and using them all through the winter and spring. Many things are far better put into the freezer than preserved in any other way, particularly now when there is such a shortage of sugar, for one can do so much better in the deep freeze with less sugar.

I have only just finished using up peaches which I put into the deep freeze last summer. I can vouch for the fact that they made very good peach shortcake! The things, however, which give me real joy are those which I have grown myself. I find that peas and beans, beets and carrots, put straight from the garden into the deep freeze, come out just like fresh vegetables. During these two or three weeks while I am away from Hyde Park, everything possible is going into my deep freeze, since I cannot be home to eat part of it now.

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I did drive up to Hyde Park late Saturday afternoon with three guests, and we enjoyed our country produce for dinner. On Sunday, Mr. David Dubinsky, president of the Ladies Garment Workers Union, and Mr. Gleb W. Derujinsky, the sculptor, went with us to lunch at my son's house. Then we went to the library to discuss the gift which Mr. Dubinsky's union proposes to make—a bust of my husband by Mr. Derujinsky. Two of my sons and I have seen the bust and like it very much, so we are extremely grateful for this gift to the library from the Ladies Garment Workers Union.

I drove back to New York soon after lunch and spent an hour or so visiting Miss Thompson in the hospital. I found her feeling much better. In fact, for the first time since her operation, she seemed interested in what was going on around her, and I hope that, by this afternoon, she will be feeling even better.

Fala was delighted to see us on our arrival in Hyde Park, but was completely disgusted yesterday when he saw the bags being packed into the car for our departure. A little dog's joy is a great pleasure, but his dejection is very baffling, because there is no way to explain why you don't take him with you.

I had taken my guests over to the library and big house in the morning, and Fala went with us. The visitors there always seem particularly thrilled to see him. One of the guards told me that many people ask where he is and how he is and seem disappointed that he is not always at the big house where they can see and pet him!

E. R.

(WORLD COPYRIGHT, 1946, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.; REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR PART PROHIBITED.)